T-cushion reclining chair



Aug. 4, 1970 F. M. RE 3,522,969

T-CUSHION RECLINING CHAIR Filed March 28, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I.

' FIG. 2.

INVENTOR, FRANK M. RE

BYIQIMMQMM Maw ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 4, 1970 F. M. RE": 3,522,969

T-GUSHION RECLINING CHAIR I Filed March 28, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z J 1|I \r N i .I

lNVENTOR. FRANK M. RE

BYMMUZZQOMM Maw ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 4, 197( TCUSHION RECLINING CHAIR 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 28,1968 S NE ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 4, 1970 F. M. R 3,522,969

T-CUSHION RECLINING CHAIR Filed March 28, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet tINVENTOR, F R AN K M RE Bymmz Wm @MM M JZ ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,522,969 T-CUSHION RECLINING CHAIR Frank M. R,Holyoke, Mass, assignor to Dual Manufacturing & Engineering,Incorporated, Holyoke, Mass. Filed Mar. 28, 1968, Ser. No. 716,814 Int.Cl. A47c 1/02 US. Cl. 29785 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREMechanism for effecting automatic, synchronized, reclining movement of aseat and back rest relative to the chassis of a reclining chaircoincident with the extension of a leg rest relative to the chassis,without the use of a separate external handle or lever means to extendthe leg rest, the seat being of the T-cushion type and the mechanismmoving it forwardly relative to the chassis during reclining movementsto preclude binding of the T-cushion relative to the chair arrns.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention Reclining chairswherein a leg rest is actuated with respect to a seat simultaneouslywith a movement of the seat and back.

Description of the prior art To my knowledge, no one has successfullyincorporated a mechanism into a T-cushion reclining chair which willautomatically and simultaneously extend the leg rest as the seat andback rest are reclined. The T-cushion recliners of the prior art allteach the use of a handle or lever, usually on the side of the chair,for actuating the leg rest either before or after the seat and back restare reclined and this for the reason that no one has been able toovercome the problem of the T-cushion binding at the arms of the chair.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A primary object of the invention is toprovide, in a reclining chair, a T-cushion seat and mechanism forautomatically moving the seat between sitting and reclining positionscoincident with the tilting movement of a back rest and the extension ofa leg rest without the use of an external handle or lever which detractsfrom the appearance of the chair.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWlNGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view ofa T-cushion reclining chair of the type embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, top plan view of one of a pair of linkagemechanisms of the chair;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of an embodiment of aT-cushion reclining chair, with the chair being shown in the upright,sitting position, with the leg rest retracted, and with portions of thechair removed for purposes of clarity;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of the chair andmechanism in the intermediate position, with the leg rest extended; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of the chair andmechanism in the fully-reclined position, with the leg rest extended.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The chair constituting thedisclosed embodiment of the invention is of the T-cushion type, being sodesignated because the seat cushion is in the shape of an inverted T, asseen in FIG. 1, with portions thereof disposed forwardly of the arms ofthe chair.

A need for an automatic reclining chair incorporating this designwithout the need for an unsightly and objectionable actuating handle haslong been felt, since the T- cushion is a standard item in conventionalliving room furniture design and lends itself to better and neaterstyling.

To my knowledge, no one has previously successfully employed such aT-cushion in a reclining chair without resorting to the use of anactuating handle for the reason that the aforementioned portions of theseat cushion bind on the chair arms when the chair is moved betweenupright and reclining positions, thereby precluding reclining movement,or precluding extension of the leg rest.

The chair incorporates a T-cushion seat 10, a back rest 12, a chassis 14inclusive of chair side arms 16, a two-part, foldaway leg rest generallyindicated by 18 and having one of its parts 20 disposed flush with theforward edge of the seat in the chair upright position, and legs 22 forsupporting the chassis upwardly of the floor.

Where a two-part leg rest has been shown, a onepart leg rest may beemployed with equal facility.

Seat 10 and back rest 12 are pivotally secured relative to each otherand cooperantly constitute a bodysupporting sub-assembly having apivotal relationship to chassis 14.

A linkage mechanism, now to be described, constitutes one of a pair,there being one such linkage mechanism at each side of thebody-supporting sub-assembly inwardly of the respective adjacent side ofthe chassis so as to be concealed from view.

A vertically-disposed mounting bracket 26 extends along thefront-to-rear dimension of the chair and is stationarily secured to thecoplanar-disposed adjacent side Wall of chassis 14.

A seat bracket 28, also extending in a front-to-rear direction of thechair, is stationarily secured to transversely-extending front and rearstretchers 29 and 31 respectively of seat 10.

Leg rest 18 is mounted, by means of the linkage mechanism, relative tothe forward end of seat 10 for movement between fully-retractedposition, as seen in FIGS. 1-3, and fully-extended positions as seen inFIGS. 4 and 5.

In the fully-retracted position, which is the fully-upright or sittingposition, major leg rest part 20 is posi tioned substantially flush withthe forwardly facing front edge of the seat, while a cooperant minor legrest part 21 is positioned so as to extend rearwardly from the lower endof the major part and to be concealed from view beneath the seat.

When the major leg rest part is elevated and advanced to any extendedposition, cooperant minor leg rest part is moved accordingly therewith,it being pivotally connected thereto. When the major leg rest part is infullyextended position, the minor leg rest part will have moved to aposition forwardly thereof and in axial alignment therewith.

Leg rest 18 is suspended relative to seat by a pair of actuator links,namely: a primary actuator link and a secondary actuator link 32.

Primary actuator link 30 is pivoted at its upper end at 34 to seatbracket 28 and at its lower end at 35 to the lower end of a primarydrive link 35.

Secondary actuator link 32 is pivoted at its upper end at 38 to seatbracket 28 and at its lower end at 40 to the lower end of a secondarydrive link 42.

Primary drive link 36 is pivoted at its upper end at 44 to the rear endof a primary propeller link 46 which is pivoted at 48 at its approximatemidsection to the approximate midsection of secondary drive link 42which is pivoted at its upper end at 50 to the rearward end of asecondary propeller link 52.

Primary propeller link 46 is pivoted at 54 at its forward end to thelower end of a major leg rest drive link 56 which is pivoted at 58 atits approximate midsection to the approximate midsection of secondarypropeller link 52 and at its upper end at 60 to one end of a major legrest support plate 62.

The forward end of secondary drive link 42 is provided with a stopsurface 43 which is adapted to contact a stop surface 57 on major legrest drive link 56 to limit the range of extension of the leg rest.

A minor leg rest drive link 64 is pivoted at 66 at its lower end to theforward end of secondary propeller link 52 and is pivoted at 68 (seeFIG. 3), at its upper end to a minor leg rest support plate 70 which ispivoted to major leg rest support plate 62 at 72.

A connecting link 74 is pivoted at 76 at it supper end to major leg restsupport plate 62 and at its lower end at 78 to minor leg rest drive linkadjacent the forward end of the latter.

Means is provided for controlling the movement of the leg rest andcomprises a primary control link 80 pivoted at 82 adjacent one of itsends to primary actuator link 30 and pivoted at 84 at its opposite endto the rearward end of a secondary control link 86, which is pivoted at88 at its approximate midsection to the approximate midsection ofsecondary actuator link 32 and is pivoted at its forward end at thepivot 44 to the rearward end of primary propeller link 46.

Primary control link 80 is spring-loaded by a tension spring 90 fixed atone end to a pin 92 provided on the inner free end of control link 80and fixed to its opposite end to a pin 94 provided on seat bracket 28.

The control means controls the speed and manner of movement of the legrest, while the spring loading of control link 80 ensures that the legrest remains closed while the chair is upright.

Means for ensuring coordinated reclining movement of the seat and backrest components of the body-supporting unit coincident with extension ofthe leg rest includes a rise bar 96 pivoted at its forward end toprimary actuator link 30 at the pivot 82 and pivoted at 97 at itsopposite rearward end to a plate-like coordinating link 98 which ispivoted at 100 to mounting bracket 26.

The coordinating link is the focal point or hub for the operativeconnection between the chassis, seat, back rest and leg rest.

As already indicated, the coordinating link is operatively connected tothe leg rest through pivotal connection 97 with rise bar 96 and isoperatively connected to chassis 14 through pivotal connection 100.

It is operatively connected to the back rest by a short link 102 pivotedat 104 at its lower end to the coordinating link 98 and pivoted at 106at its upper end to a generally L-shaped back rest link 108.

Back rest link 108 is fixed as by screws 110 to a side rail 112 of theback rest and is pivoted at 114 at its forward end to mounting bracket26.

Coordinating link 98 is operatively connected to the seat by a system oflinks including a slotted link 116 pivoted at 118 at its lower end tothe coordinating link 98 and having a central slot 120 therein in whicha pin 122 provided on seat bracket 28 is slideable.

A connecting link 124 is pivoted at its upper end to pin 122 and at 126at its lower end to rise bar 96, thereby effecting an operativeconnection between the seat and leg rest.

A system of links is provided for raising seat bracket 28 and moving itand seat 10 forwardly to clear the chair arms as the body-supportingunits is reclined while counter-balancing the chair back to preclude anyobjectionable falling sensation on the part of the chair occupant.

Said system of links includes a seat link 128 pivoted at 130 at itsrearward end to seat bracket 28 and pivoted at 132 at its opposite endto the upper end of a pivot link 134.

Pivot link 134 is pivoted at 136 at its approximate midsection to theapproximate midsection of a leg rest link 138 and is pivoted at 140 atits lower end to the upper end of a chassis link 142 which is pivoted at144 at its lower end to mounting bracket 26.

Leg rest link 138 is pivoted at its rearward end at 146 to mountingbracket 26 and is pivoted at 148 at its forward end to the lower end ofa rise bar link 150 which is pivoted at 152 at its upper end to rise bar96.

Additional stop means comprises a stop surface 154 on coordinating link98 engageable with the lower surface of back rest link 108 to limit thedegree of angularization of the back rest when the chair is in the fullyreclined position as shown in FIG. 5.

In the upright and intermediate reclining positions, a stop surface 199of leg rest link 138 rests upon an offset flange 200 provided onmounting bracket 26, this flange acting as a stop to preclude anydrooping of the linkage mechanism.

Slotted link 116 precludes reclining of the body-supporting unit withoutconcomitant leg rest extension and precludes leg rest retraction whilein the fully-reclined position.

I am able to employ a T -cushion because the seat does not moverearwardly, as is common in recliners when the back is tilted, butrather moves forwardly and its rear end moves slightly downwardly, andit is the weight of the occupant which propels the leg rest forwardlyand upwardly. Since the seat moves forwardly, it cannot bind on the armsof the chair to hamper or preclude reclining movements or extension ofthe leg rest.

I claim:

1. A reclining chair comprising: a stationary chassis, a body-supportingunit comprising a back rest and a T- cushion seat pivotal relative tosaid chassis and pivotal each relative to the other, a leg rest movablebetween retracted position wherein it is disposed below the seat andextended position wheerin it is disposed forwardly of the seat, andmeans interconnecting the body-supporting unit, chassis and leg rest forautomatically moving said leg rest responsively to movement of thebody-supporting unit relative to said chassis successively between anupright sitting position and an intermediate reclined position and afully reclined position comprising, a pair of actuator links mountingthe leg rest to the seat, a pair of control links connecting between theseat and the actuator links for controlling the speed and manner ofmovement of the leg rest, a coordinating link connected to the chassisand serving as the hub for the operative connection between the chassis,seat back rest and leg rest, a rise bar connecting between the actuatorlinks and the coordinating link, a back rest link connecting between theback rest and the chassis, a short link connecting between the back restlink and the coordinating link, a pair of links connected to each otherand to the seat, coordinating link and rise bar, a system of links forraising the seat and moving it forwardly to clear the chassis as thebody-supporting unit is reclined while counter-balancing the back restto preclude any objectionable falling sensation comprising, a seat link,a pivot link, a leg rest link and a chassis link, the seat link beingconnected to the seat and to the pivot link, the pivot link beingadditionally connected to the leg rest link and to the chassis link, thechassis link being additionally connected to the chassis and the legrest link being additionally connected to the chassis and to the risebar.

2. In a reclining chair as set forth in claim 1, including plural stopmeans for limiting the range of movement of said leg rest and saidbody-supporting unit.

3. In a reclining chair as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of saidpair of control links is spring loaded.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1962 Winick 297317 X 6/ 1964Mizelle 2973 17 7/1964 Fletcher 29789 X 12/1964 Fletcher 29789 5/ 1965Schliephacke 29789 U.S. Cl. X.R.

